The analogy of the cave in Book VII of The Republic reminded me of Catholicism. From my understanding, in Catholicism, if a person wants to repent, they must go to the priest who then goes to God. In the same way the analogy of the cave presents different levels of knowledge and understanding. Those in the cave do not understand more than simply shadows, those who see the fire understand that the shadows come from the statues, and those who can see everything believe it all comes from the light of the sun.
If you understand either of these ideas, please comment below... I would love to hear your thoughts!
I definitely like your connection between Catholicism and the cave. However, I think that, with the position of Catholicism in mind, there would be a gate or a reception window at the exit of the cave where the prisoners would then talk to someone more knowledgeable than them. This is only my perspective however.
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